24-Day-Old Mountain Lions Found in Santa Monica Mountains are Kittens of P-77

A few weeks ago, P-77, a mountain lion that roams California, delivered birth.

At 24 days old, her kittens are now exploring the Santa Monica Mountains.

Kittens of Mountain Lion P-77

The three female mountain lion kittens from the litter have increased the population of cats that wander the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in California and its surroundings.

P-77, a mountain lion roaming the area, has recently given birth to a litter of kittens in the Simi Hills, a small habitat region sandwiched between the more expansive Santa Monica and Santa Susana Mountain ranges, according to National Park Service scientists.

They are now all referred to as P-113, P-114, and P-115.

On May 18, biologists discovered the kittens in a tangle of poison oak tucked between huge boulders.

Based on when P-77 initially arrived at the scene, it was determined that all three kittens were 24 days old and that they all appeared healthy.

P-77 is thought to be five to six years old.

Biologists claimed that she has formed her adult home range in this tiny habitat patch located between freeways 101 and 118 since she was first discovered in the Simi Hills in November 2019.

Possibility of an Untracked Litter

Biologists believe P-77 had a previous litter based on remote trail camera footage taken after her initial capture.

This new litter's father is currently unknown.

NPS biologists believed the father of this litter likely left the Santa Susana Mountains and returned because they are not currently tracking an adult male in the region between the 101 and 118 freeways.

It will be intriguing to see how these kittens use the landscape as they get older and disperse, especially if they choose to remain in the Simi Hills or cross freeways to access wider natural regions, according to Jeff Sikich, the NPS mountain lion project lead field biologist.

After all the deaths they recorded in the region last year, Sikich said it is reassuring to witness reproduction in the area's small mountain lion population.

In the past, P-77 has traveled across both roads and briefly stayed in the Santa Monica and Santa Susana Mountains.

According to the National Parks Traveler survey, this is the third litter identified in the Simi Hills.

The National Park Service states that since 2002, they have been researching how mountain lions survive in an ever more dispersed and urbanized environment.

More than 100 mountain lions have since been observed by biologists in and around the Santa Monica Mountains, north of Los Angeles.

GPS radio collars offer comprehensive data on the ecology and behavior of the animals.

Mountain Lions

According to The National Wildlife Federation, the mountain lion is a huge cat species that is indigenous to the Americas.

Their bodies are large and mostly coated in tawny-beige fur, except the belly and chest, which are whitish-gray.

The tip of the tail, the ears, and the area around the nose are all marked with black. All year long, mountain lions can reproduce.

Every two years, mountain lion females often give birth to a litter of one to six cubs.

Although the infants can remain with their mother for up to 26 months, they often separate after 15 months.